Apparently Nexus found some kind of bar just a few corners away from where the manticore had The Doctor and Ditzy trapped. And not matter how much he could use a cocktail, The Doctor was still dubious about this. Things never fell this perfectly into place, even for him. With the recent events however, the Doctor was more than happy to take a seat. The bar was pretty basic. Dark wood floor matched the bar top and tables in the whole thing. The lighting wasn't much better than the rest of the maze, the storm still gave mostly dim light.
Ditzy sat at the bar as Nexus went on about what he did after the angel teleported him as he mixed The Doctor a cocktail. He was strangely vague about it. To paraphrase his excessive padding, he fought off his own manticore and even got past a Dalek before he found the bar he an Ditzy ran past. Ditzy listened with rapt attention as Nexus poured The Doctor's cocktail. He wasn't really sure what he'd made, but he knew for a fact he wasn't ready for one from Nexus.
"What's the problem Doctor?" Nexus asked sliding the green drink closer. "Ditzy said you liked cocktails."
"I do love a good cocktail but I'm not really in the mood." The Doctor said not breaking eye contact.
"Are you sure you're okay Doctor?" Ditzy asked.
"I'm fine Ditzy. I just need a clearer mind for this. I think we've sat for long enough." The Doctor said getting up.
"Not even just a sip? I'll even make one for you Ditzy."
"I don't drink."
"Now's the time for it." Nexus said.
"She doesn't want any Nexus. Now I've got to ask, why don't you-" The Doctor would have finished the big question on his mind, a thumping sound made him stop. He knew that noise… It got louder as both Nexus and Ditzy noticed. Ditzy followed The Doctor's eyes while Nexus just looked around trying to find the source. "Nexus… Make room."
"You wanna mix your own drink?" Nexus asked for some reason exited.
"Sure why not?" The Doctor said obviously not concerned with drinking. "Ditzy, why don't you come back here and help me."
"You're serious?" Ditzy asked considering how well the Doctor knows her.
"Yeah, help me find the rum."
"I already-" Nexus said.
"I mean a different kind of rum!" He said shoving Nexus down as the stomping got closer. "Come along Ditzy!" he threw Ditzy over the bar, almost throwing her against the back wall of shelves.
The Doctor wasn't too far behind and made sure to shove both into the bar's stash under the bar. The thumping noise continued getting louder as Nexus legitimately searched for the kind of rum the Doctor wanted. He silently slapped Nexus' arm away from the alcohol and told him to be quiet as the stomping sounded as though it was at the opposite door. It stopped for a moment then came into the room. The Doctor peeked his eyes over the counter just in time to see the back of a metal clad man man at the far entrance as it scanned the opposite side of the room.
The Doctor made a shushing motion with his ha- hoof and mouthed for them to stay down. Nexus meanwhile was too curious and peeked over the bar with his whole head out. The Doctor and Ditzy were quick to yank him back down before the metal man could see him. The man turned a few more circles and concluded that nobody was there. It lumbered out the door they'd come in and the Doctor made sure Nexus stayed down until the man was gone and far down the hall.
"Are you absolutely mad or just plain mental!?" The Doctor shouted at Nexus.
"What are you talking about?" Nexus asked still wondering if he wanted that drink.
"What kind of tactical mastermind stands up to look at something that can kill them!?"
"I barely got a look at it, what was it?"
"That was a Cyberman!"
"Cyberman?" Ditzy asked confused. "It only had two legs, that wasn't a Cyberman."
"Then it must've been one from my universe."
"Your universe?" Nexus asked.
"You really are dim today aren't you?"
"What's a Cyberman then?"
"They're us. Well…. Humans. That one anyways. Fully augmented human. All that's left of them is the brain and heart. Sometimes not even that. And there's never just one. We better get out of here."
"And go where?" Nexus asked.
"Out the door it came in should be our best bet. Let's go." The Doctor said hopping over the bar while Nexus and Ditzy simply walked around the side.
Nexus walked ahead of Derpy and the Doctor down the corridor. He stopped every corner to wait for the Doctor to put his mark on the wall. They got caught in the middle of a change in the maze at one point and ended up walking past the bar again. They did however star making some progress as a quick look to the emptiness of space above them proved. The beam that marked the place of the paradox machine was much closer to them than before. They came to a rather straight section and Nexus insisted he could feel something ahead of them so he could take point.
The Doctor agreed and let Nexus go ahead while Derpy and him sat back and kept an eye on their rear. "I think we need to leave him behind." the Doctor whispered to Derpy.
"What!?" Derpy said in a hushed shout. "We can't do that! He needs us."
"I know he needs us but I'm not entirely sure I trust him right now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you notice anything odd about Nexus at all?"
"What'd you mean Doctor?"
"What's he missing? What should be there after what we've been through?"
Derpy pondered for a moment. What have they been through so far? They've been chased by Daleks, thrown into a pocket dimension in order to shut off a machine that was erasing him from history and he was…
The Doctor noticed what had just crossed her mind and opened his mouth before she could. "I don't think he's who he says he is Ditzy. Notice something else? He's been calling me Doctor and you Ditzy."
"What's that have to do with…" Derpy rubbed her neck just to make sure Nexus wasn't listening from ahead of them.
"Before the Angel, he called me Doc and he never used your name."
"But you said the Angel sent him back in time or something right? Maybe after some time he just forgot?"
"This dimension hasn't lasted that long, a few hours at that. So there's nowhere for him to be sent. Plus he's not technically in time so the Angel wouldn't have anywhere to send him either. And to top it all off, that was a weak Angel, it probably didn't have the strength to send him back in time."
"So then…. What about the neck?"
"I don't know…. It's hard to feel the universe's time line in here but he feels like he's still apart of it."
"What's that mean?"
"It means… either it fixed itself or…"
"Hey guys!" Nexus shouted from ahead. "I think I've found the way to-"
There was a sudden thunderous blast of thunder inside the maze. Derpy felt he shockwave from the shot hit her in the chest and through her lungs. From the end of the hall where Nexus stood, a light green mist exploded from the left side of his neck. His body jolted as his blood spilled and his head jolted in the direction of the shot. His body tipped and toppled onto its side limp.
"Nexus!" Derpy shouted in fear and anger.
They both ran to Nexus' side. The Doctor scanned him with the Sonic Screwdriver. Nexus' green blood spread out on the floor. The stench was unbearable, it wasn't normal blood. From the gun shot in his neck, the shot had to have come from the left. To know if they had to run or not, she looked over to the left and froze at what she saw.
"Doctor." She said standing up not sure if she should run or not.
The Doctor looked up and saw what caused his faithful companion to leave the side of dead/dying man. Just a few yards down the left hall a tall blue man stood with his metallic hoof extended and a pistol held by small robotic arm. His neck, was bruised black and blue and his eyes were blood shot. Though quiet, his breathing was ragged and short.
"Do…Doc….tor…" Nexus coughed before collapsing to the ground, his glasses falling off his nose.